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It is a security arrangement in the political, regional, or global arena in which a state exerts that security of one is security of all. Therefore, the states in a group collectively cooperate to provide security to all in case of any threat or breach of peace.

Collective security acts as a deterrent against aggression because the collective power for all nations is used to repel aggression or war against any state. It is based on the principle, ‘One for all and all for one’, which means aggression against one is aggression against all. For international peace and security, aggression has to be countered with collective action by a group of states.

The 2 elements of collective security are ‘security’ and ‘collective’.

Security of one nation is highly linked to the security of all nations. National security is international security. Breach of security of one nation leads to breach of security of all nations.

Collective here means that group of states has to collectively deal with the aggressor. It highlights the spirit of all for one and one for all.

Organski in his work ‘World Politics’, lists five basic assumptions of collective security:

  1. In an armed conflict, member nations will be able to agree who is the aggressor.
  2. All member nations are equally committed to the aggression.
  3. All member nations have some freedom of action and ability to join in the aggression.
  4. The collective power of member states will be adequate to counter the aggression.
  5. To the context of collective security, the aggressor will modify his actions or have to face defeat.

Morgenthau gives 3 prerequisites for the success of collective security:

  1. The collective security strength has to be in excess to that of the aggressor, in order to defeat him.
  2. The members must share the same beliefs of the security of world order.
  3. Conflicting interest among member states should be sub-ordinated to common good, which is common defence of all member states.

Main features of collective security

Features of collective security are as follows: -

  1. An instrument of power management – In order to preserve international peace, collective security is used to manage the crisis at the time of war or attack.
  2. It acknowledges universality of aggression – It admits that aggression will happen and a group of states has to be formed to counter it.
  3. Nations have commitment to end aggression – All nations pool their resources to stop aggression.
  4. It prevents war – An aggressor nation will avoid war as it knows that its act will be met with collective defence.
  5. War is the enemy, not the state – Collective security works towards eliminating war, not the aggressor state.

UN collective security concept

The charter of UN states that collective security system can be used for the preservation of international peace and security. Chapter 7 of the UN charter talks about the collective security system and its title leads, “Action with respect to threat to the peace and acts of aggression.”

Chapter 7 contains 13 articles. Article 39-51. Which provide for the collective security system to secure international peace and security. UN’s security council has been assigned the job of initiating collective security action against the act of aggression.

These articles provide:

  1. Article 39 – Responsibility of collective security council to determine whether an action is an act of aggression or not.
  2. Article 40 – States that the first step towards prevention of war, aggression can be provisional measures like ceasefire.
  3. Article 41 – Refers to the enforcement actions other than collective military actions. It can recommend sanctions against the aggressor.
  4. Article 42 – Security council can take military action to preserve international peace and security.
  5. Article 43 – Members of security council are required to contribute resources, efforts and forces for raising collective security force that may have to take actions under Article 42.
  6. Article 44-47 – Procedure for raising, maintaining and using UN peacekeeping force for collective security actions.
  7. Article 48 – Action on the decision of security council is to be taken by all the members or some of them as the security council may determine.
  8. Article 49 – Members of the UN have to mutually assist in carrying out decisions of security council.
  9. Article 50 – Lays down the ways in which new member states can adjust their policies and actions towards the decision that may be taken up by the security council under Article 41-42.
  10. Article 51 – In case of an armed attack against a state, to individually or collectively take measures for self-defence until the security.

Critical Evaluation

Though collective security was formed for noble reason, for preserving international peace and security, but it is too idealistic in nature. It assumes that there exists complete understanding among nations to protect each other. Also, at times, it is not possible to identify the aggressor. Contrary to the collective security system, the aggressor might act in self-defence. Most of its assumptions are hypothetical.